Chalcopyrite and Siderite

Item Description

These spectacular combination mineral specimens surprised us all when they showed up in the market about 15 years ago, starting with frankly mediocre siderite at first, without the presence of the chalcopyrite crystals so marvelously sprinkled upon them. A few years later, the best of these combination specimens featuring sharp contrasts of both color and geometry, came out. Nothing truly great has come out since 2015 or so. This specimen was purchased by Fran Allegra before that time. It is a sparkling, glittering, gorgeous and balanced example from the heyday of the find. The chalcopyrites are to over 1 cm in size (1.2 max). The siderites are a wonderful brown color with some translucency. It is "correct" in the balance of the two, and has very trivial damage only on the periphery (as most do). It displays dramatically on a custom lucite base. This is valued in the $7500 range on today's market, from what I have seen at shows as they recirculate from time to time. No modern production in China produces the same quality as in the past. Surprisingly hefty at 989 grams.